Recently I watched the Superbowl. I have long believed that American advertising and media is terribly hostile to women, portraying them consistently as the housekeepers and stay-at-home moms (have you ever seen a Lysol or Johnson&Johnson ad featuring a stay-at-home dad using cleaning wipes, brooms, or washing dishes?).
The ads during the Superbowl were more of the same, but with a sharpness I wasn't expecting. Especially for the largest televised event in America, and seen by millions and millions of Americans. You'd think these major companies would realize that women not only enjoy sports too, but are watching, taking note, and still constituting 52% of the consumer base in this country.
A Bridgestone ad shows a band of bandits on a dark road that stop a car, and the bandits shout, "Your tires or your life." A few seconds later, a woman is shoved out of the car. Disappointed, the bandits yell, "I said your life, not your wife!" as the car screeches away. Women aren't worth a set of tires here.
A Dodge ad portrays headshots of silent, straight-faced men while a narrator announces, "I will get up at 6am. I will be at work by 8:30am. I will walk the dog. I will say yes when you want me to. I will rinse my shaving particles from the sink. I will carry your lip balm." As if it is beyond reasonable to ask a man to work for a living (after all, we have to as well) and earn their keep, or clean up after himself, or occasionally request a favor. It's all these ridiculous demands women make.
Another ad, for FloTV, shows a man being dragged around a mall by his woman. She makes him stand in the bra section, and the narrator announces, "Girlfriend won't let you watch the Superbowl? Take off the skirt, man." The narrator then exhorts him to get FloTV, a mini portable tv, so he can constantly be around his sports. Here again, women are the burden, women make life hell...
These make me angry, because these images are subtle and rude and demeaning and are being broadcast to a younger generation that will imbibe them without questioning. My feminist anger is full and furious.
But my partner (a man) reminded me of something key. He said, "You know, these ads make me mad too. They don't portray a good image of men either: that we're all lugs who just are pretty dumb, watch sports, and can't get ourselves together."
Ya know, the man's got a point.
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